On October 12, 2024, the Korean Education Centre in Sydney, led by Director Kwon Ji-young, successfully administered the 96th Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) at 11 test centers across six Australian states, including New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory.

The TOPIK exam is an official assessment organized annually by the National Institute for International Education under South Korea's Ministry of Education. It aims to provide guidance for Korean language learners among overseas Koreans and foreigners while expanding the reach of the Korean language. In Australia, the exam is overseen and conducted by the Korean Education Centre in Sydney, typically held once a year in mid-October.

This year, a total of 501 candidates registered for the exam, with 86 participants at the Melbourne Korean School and 73 at the Saesun Korean Language School. To ensure the smooth execution of the test, the Korean Education Institute held a pre-exam meeting on September 23 for test center managers and supervisors, facilitating both online and in-person discussions to review roles and responsibilities.

The Korean language proficiency test is divided into two levels based on difficulty: TOPIK I (Levels 1-2) and TOPIK II (Levels 3-6). The exam is conducted on an absolute grading scale, and the results are set to be released on November 28, 2024. Candidates can check their scores directly on the TOPIK website (www.topik.go.kr). Test results are valid for two years from the date of publication.

To support Korean language learners preparing for the TOPIK exam in Australia, the Korean Education Centreoffers free preparation classes at various levels (TOPIK I, TOPIK II-1, and TOPIK II-2). More details about these classes can be found on the institute's website (www.auskec.kr).